Getting around when the Alaskan Way Viaduct closes

BY SCOTT GUTIERREZ, SEATTLEPI.COM STAFF

Updated 3:26 pm, Thursday, September 1, 2011

Alternate routes north to downtown during Alaskan Way Viaduct closure.

Alternate routes north to downtown during Alaskan Way Viaduct closure.

The Alaskan Way Viaduct as construction began on the new highway that will replace it.

Photo: Joshua Trujillo, Seattlepi.com

The Alaskan Way Viaduct as construction began on the new highway...

The first section (the red section above) of the Alaskan Way Viaduct is to be demolished in October. The bright green section represents the construction area, while the yellow part is the staging area. A: SR 99 closed for nine days while section of viaduct demolished; B: Northbound SR 99 on-ramp remains open during this period; C: Complete connection between permanent SR 99 lates and detour; D: Southbound SR 99 detour off-ramp to S. Atlantic Street complete.

From Oct. 21 to Oct. 31, the viaduct will be closed south of Royal Brougham Way so crews can demolish a section of the old behemoth to build a detour connection between a new highway replacing the Sodo section and the central viaduct along the waterfront. The rest of the Sodo section will be torn down by next year, while the central waterfront section will remain open until a new highway tunnel opens in late 2015 or early 2016.

Northbound lanes between Royal Brougham and the Battery Street Tunnel will remain open during the October closure between 5:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.

About 110,000 cars travel the viaduct every day. The closure means many of those vehicles, and the people they take to work, will have to go elsewhere. It will be the longest highway closure in Seattle history.

"While we are excited to get traffic onto the new bridge, we also face a very serious challenge -- keeping traffic moving through downtown Seattle for nine days without the viaduct," said Ron Paananen, Alaskan Way Viaduct program administrator, in a news release. "If drivers can change the way they commute for nine days in October, they will help us keep traffic moving."

So what would be the best detours to take?

First, transportation officials would prefer that drivers leave their cars home and instead telecommute, carpool, or take the bus, van pool or water taxi, between downtown and West Seattle. If everyone decides just to switch to Interstate 5, congestion will be only worse and no one will get anywhere quickly.

"In terms of alternate routes, people should plan around the closure and consider leaving earlier or consider delaying their trip so they're not traveling during the am/pm peak," said Rick Sheridan, Seattle Department of Transportation spokesman.

"We would hope people do not think 'I need to take my car and need to travel at the exactly the same time I always do.' That sort of approach across a variety of different drivers will create problems. We all need to make changes to accommodate this closure."

If motorists absolutely have to drive, here are a few options:

Many drivers likely will flock to Interstate 5, the other main north-south route through downtown. But it likely will be crowded and will get only more congested if everybody decides to move to the freeway.

Fourth Avenue South will be a viable detour into downtown from the Spokane Street Viaduct for West Seattleites. Construction of the new Fourth Avenue off-ramp was accelerated for this purpose, and it has been underused in the past when viaduct traffic was heavy, Sheridan said.

On First Avenue South, two lanes will be open in both directions during the closure, even around Spokane Street construction, to accommodate as much traffic as possible.

Drivers headed south from downtown on surface streets are reminded they won't have westbound access to the Spokane Street viaduct. A new First Avenue ramp still is under construction. To cross to West Seattle, their best options will be the lower Southwest Spokane Street bridge or further south at the First Avenue South Bridge.

Drivers from West Seattle have a choice between two bridges: the high-rise or the lower Southwest Spokane Street Bridge. Drivers may shift to the lower bridge if traffic is backed up even more than usual. But keep in mind that the lower bridge must still open to boat traffic during peak commute hours, Sheridan said.

SDOT will be monitoring conditions on all routes during the day and might tweak traffic signal cycles if necessary to keep traffic moving, Sheridan said.

For drivers who would rather leave the car home and avoid carmageddon:

The King County Water Taxi offers 18 round-trip sailings between Seacrest Dock in West Seattle and Pier 50 on the downtown Seattle waterfront on all weekdays, with the first trip from West Seattle at 6:45 a.m. But the Ferry District is looking at adding an earlier morning sailing or additional afternoon sailing, depending on what costs and the demand might be.

Two free Metro shuttle routes connect residents by bus from the Junction, the Admiral District and Alki to the water taxi. Adults with an ORCA card pay $3. With cash or tickets, it's $3.50. "We hope the water taxi is one of things they'd consider," county transportation spokeswoman Rochelle Ogershok said.

King County Metro Transit/ Sound Transit: With $30 million in mitigation money from the state, Metro has increased service between downtown and West Seattle, Burien and White Center, to help get people around construction. "If people want to take advantage of park-and-rides in West Seattle and connect with transit, even if you're on a bus and delayed, you're still not a solo driver frustrated in traffic," SDOT's Sheridan said. Eleven routes that use the viaduct will be detoured during that 10-day span, although Metro is coordinating those route changes with WSDOT, Metro spokeswoman Linda Thielke said. More information will be announced soon. To avoid confusion, she emphasized the viaduct-closure detours will not be part of Metro's system-wide service changes planned for Oct. 1.